2.5 The effects and symptoms of trauma

While many people go through stressful and traumatic events without lasting effects, others may face ongoing difficulties. The reactions and responses to trauma are highly individual and subjective – an event that one person finds stressful might be experienced as traumatic by another.

Single, one-off traumas can cause short-term difficulties, depending on the incident's severity.

However, recurring trauma – referred to as type 2, complex, relational, or developmental trauma – is more likely to have significant and enduring long-term effects, impacting a person's ability to manage even everyday tasks and activities.

The following diagram shows different reactions and responses to trauma.

Physical

Aches and pains, tiredness, shaking, sweating, dizziness, headaches, disrupted appetite, memory difficulties, panic attacks, sleep problems, fatigue, increase in medical problems.

Emotional

Anger, numbness, scared, worried, irritable, confused, restless, shock, shame, self-blame, grief, overwhelm, anxious, loneliness, depressed mood, denial, concentration difficulty.

Behavioural

Self-neglect, sleep problems, panic attacks, flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, suicidal feelings, alcohol and substance misuse, resisting change, protective of personal space.

Relational

Difficulty trusting others, fear of intimacy, social isolation, attachment difficulties.